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Checklist of plants suitable for ground cover: T - X

Botanical name Common name Habit Evergreen/ Deciduous Height (meters) Hardiness zone Soil Shade Moisture pH Growth rate Notes
Thymus praecox   Sh E 0.05 5 LM N DM ANB M Condiment. Essential oil, medicinal.
Thymus serpyllum Wild thyme Sh E 0.10 5 LM N DM ANB M Edible leaves, tea. Essential oil, insect repellent, fungicide, medicinal. Wind tolerant.
Thymus vulgaris Common thyme Sh E 0.20 7 LM N DM NB M As above.
Thymus x citriodorus Lemon thyme Sh E 0.20 7 LM N DM NB M As above.
Tiarella cordifolia Foamflower P E 0.20 3 LMH SN M ANB S Medicinal.
Tolmiea menziesii Youth on age P   0.60 7 LMH FS DM ANB M Edible young shoots.
Trachelospermum asiaticum   Cl E 6.00 9 LMH SN M ANB S
Trifolium repens White clover P E 0.10 4 LMH N M ANB M Edible leaves and flowers. Tea.

Botanical name Common name Habit Evergreen/ Deciduous Height (meters) Hardiness zone Soil Shade Moisture pH Growth rate Notes
Vaccinium crassifolium Creeping blueberry Sh E 0.10 7 LM SN M A   Edible fruit.
Vaccinium nummularia   Sh E 0.10   LM SN M A   Edible fruit
Vaccinium praestans Kamchatka bilberry Sh D 0.15 4 LM S M A S Edible fruit.
Vaccinium vitis-idaea Cowberry Sh E 0.35 5 LM SN M A   Edible fruit, tea. Dye.
Vinca minor Lesser periwinkle Sh E 0.20 4 LMH FSN DM ANB M Basket making. Medicinal. Drought tolerant.
Viola cornuta Viola P E 0.30 5 LMH SN M AN   Edible leaves, flowers, tea.
Viola labradorica Labrador violet P E 0.10 2 LMH FSN M AN   Edible leaves and flowers.
Viola obliqua Marsh blue violet P   0.15   LMH SN MWe ANB   Edible flowers, leaves, tea.
Vitis coignetiae Crimson glory vine Cl D 20.00 5 LMH SN DM ANB F Edible leaves and stems. Dye.
Vitis davidii Spiny vitis Cl D 20.00 7 LMH SN DM ANB   Edible fruit and leaves. Dye.
Xanthorhiza simplicissima Yellowroot Sh D 1.00 6 LMH SN MWe A   Dye.

Edible Trees and Shrubs Hardy in temperate zones.
Checklist of plants suitable for hedging and windbreaks.
Checklist of Trees and Shrubs for Shelterbelts.

KEY.

Habit: A = Annual. B = Bamboo. Bi = Biennial. Cl - Climber. F = Fern. Sh = Shrub. T = Tree. P = Perennial.

Deciduous/Evergreen: D = Deciduous. E = Evergreen.

Hardiness zone: 1 = Succeeds in the Arctic zone. 10 = Does not tolerate frost. Most of Britain is in zone 7, the milder areas are zone 8 (though some zone 9 plants can be there), some upland and northern areas are 6 or lower.

Soil: L = Light. M = Medium. H = Heavy.

Shade: F = Succeeds in full shade. S = Succeeds in semi-shade. N = Succeeds in full sun (or no shade).

Moisture: D = Succeeds in dry soils. M = Succeeds in moist soils (the average soil moisture level). We = Succeeds in wet soils. Wa = Succeeds in water.

pH: A = Succeeds in acid soils. N = Succeeds in neutral soils. B = Succeeds in basic (alkaline soils).

Growth rate: S = Slow. M = Medium. F = Fast.

When using this list it is important to remember that it can only contain a small portion of the information we hold on each plant. You are strongly advised to seek more information on any plant before making use of it in the manner suggested. This is especially important with any of the comments on edibility.

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An important new book from PFAF. It focuses on the attributes of plants suitable for food forests, what each can contribute to a food forest ecosystem, including carbon sequestration, and the kinds of foods they yield. The book suggests that community and small-scale food forests can provide a real alternative to intensive industrialised agriculture, and help to combat the many inter-related environmental crises that threaten the very future of life on Earth.

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FOOD FOREST PLANTS

 

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